Volunteerism in the U.S. | 12 March 2002 |
USA Freedom CorpsWhite House Fact Sheet USA Freedom Corps Fostering a Culture of Service, Citizenship and Responsibility Presidential Action Today in Philadelphia President Bush announced that through the new USA Freedom Corps and its web site (www.usafreedomcorps.gov), all Americans can keep a record of their experiences and hours in volunteer service on-line or in a printed journal. The call to service is not a federal mandate, but a profound individual commitment, and the online Record of Service and printed Record of Service will allow individuals to track their progress in meeting that commitment. President Bush announced that he has directed his Cabinet to report back to him within 30 days on ways their Departments and Agencies can contribute to service opportunities for all Americans. The directive is part of his USA Freedom Corps initiative to encourage and assist all Americans to answer the call to service, and asks the Cabinet Members to provide information to foster more service in America. The President also met with volunteers participating in a variety of service activities who are part of a longstanding American tradition of service and volunteerism for the public good. Record of Service The online Record of Service is available at www.usafreedomcorps.gov, and allows individuals to log on with a unique user identity to keep an online journal with details about their experiences in volunteer service and their progress in meeting the President's call to service. The online tool is powered by Network for Good, an independent, 501(c)(3) organization that is a partnership of over 20 corporations, nonprofit foundations and associations seeking to foster the informed use of the Internet for civic participation and philanthropy. The Record of Service journal is also available online or by calling 1-877-USA-Corps. Individuals can use the Record of Service to keep a journal of their experiences in a book that includes research on service needs and opportunities, examples of service throughout history and quotes about the role of service in the lives of individuals and in American culture. The President's Instructions to His Cabinet President Bush also announced that he has directed the Members of his Cabinet to report back to him within 30 days on the ways their Departments and Agencies can contribute to service opportunities for all Americans. The directive is part of his USA Freedom Corps initiative to encourage and assist all Americans to answer the call to service, and asks the Cabinet Members to produce:
The Two-Year Call to Service During his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to give at least two years of their lives -- the equivalent of 4,000 hours -- to the service of others. Today, he visited the People's Emergency Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and met with local volunteers to lead a conversation about service and the USA Freedom Corps initiative that he launched just over a month ago. The President's vision of the gathering momentum of millions of acts of compassion and kindness includes Americans in military and civilian service, Americans engaged in meeting local community and national needs, and Americans participating in service projects at home and abroad. Research indicates that approximately 44 percent of Americans are currently involved in volunteer activities, and that they serve an average of 185 hours annually (Source: Independent Sector). Since the President Launched the USA Freedom Corps initiative, the new web site has been visited more than 6.5 million times, more than 18,000 people have requested applications to the Peace Corps (an increase of 54 percent over the same period last year), applications to AmeriCorps programs are up nearly 50 percent, calls to the Senior Corps toll free number are up nearly 200 percent and visits to that web site are up 500 percent, and almost 20,000 people from all 50 states have signed up to participate in the new Citizen Corps effort. Why the Call to Service? Research on service participation indicates that asking Americans to serve makes a difference in whether they actually do so:
A History of Service During his visit to Philadelphia today, President Bush met with volunteers participating in a variety of service activities who are part of a longstanding American tradition of service and volunteerism for the public good. The volunteers who joined him for a conversation on service include:
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